The document discusses film genre research and provides categories for exploring genres: setting, narrative, characters, iconography, and style. It explains that genres have recognizable elements that can be analyzed using these categories. Specifically, it defines each category, such as narrative referring to story structure and devices, characters usually developing the narrative as certain generic types, setting involving distinct locations that can change, iconography as instantly recognizable visual/audio images associated with a genre, and style describing how iconography is presented through camera work, editing, lighting, and color. Students are instructed to create a Popplet using these categories to show the conventions of a chosen genre or sub-genre, and include film examples.

1. Film Genre Research
Create a Popplet to present your
findings.

2. Genre
Nick Lacey uses the following categories when exploring genre.
You can use these categories to organise your research:
• Setting
• Narrative
• Characters
• Iconography
• Style
Films of particular genres have recognisable elements that can
be explored using the categories above.

3. GENRE - Lacey’s repertoire of elements
• Narrative: This refers to the story structure as
well as the specific narrative devices, which
genres employ (car chases, gunfights, weddings,
etc.).
• Characters: Narrative is usually developed
through characters and their functions (hero,
villain etc). Some characters are so closely
associated with a genre that they become generic
types. For example, in horror movies, the ‘final
girl,’ who maintains her personal dignity, usually
defeats the psychopath.
Nick Lacey

4. GENRE - Lacey’s repetoire of elements
• Setting: Some genres have a distinct location but
this can be subject to change, for example horror
films have moved from the gothic to the
suburban. Genres can also be associated with
time periods like the gangster films set during
prohibition in America but successful films have
updated this.
• Iconography: Films contain visual and audio
images, which become instantly recognisable and
associated with the genre. Eg: Gangster films
feature the iconic ‘Tommy’ gun spraying bullets in
the hands of a man in a sharp suit usually
standing on the running board of a car.
Nick Lacey

5. GENRE - Lacey’s repetoire of elements
• Style: Iconography refers to the objects but style
describes the way they are presented. Camera
angles, editing, lighting and the use of colour all
contribute to the style of a film.
Nick Lacey

6. TASK: Create a Popplet that shows the conventions of your
chosen genre or sub-genre using Lacey’s categories, i.e.

7. Here is an example – you should have more detail for some of
the categories in your version! Also include film examples.

8. • Post your completed Popplet to your journal
with a summary of the elements you think you
could include in your own marketing
campaign.